


Goodbye Humanity

by ShipperOfTheShips



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Asexual Character, F/M, Gen, Mentions of Suicide, mention of self-harm, slight gore, so far anyways, they'll meet up soon, twilight characters are only mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:10:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6154786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShipperOfTheShips/pseuds/ShipperOfTheShips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iris had just finished the Twilight Saga and desperately wanted to become a vampire and belong to night. This is the story of her second life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and was feeling inspired to throw my original characters into Stephenie Meyer's world of Twilight. I hope you enjoy!!

Iris Walker was seventeen years old and had been living with her brother and his family for the past eight months due to their mother's terrible taste in men. Helen had felt the need to marry an abusive heroine addict and then — when she'd refused to tolerate him any longer — kick Iris out. Jensen, feeling obligated to take in his little sister, told her she could live with him if only she would help take care of his and Dana's daughter for the duration of her stay. She had agreed because she'd had nowhere else to go. So there she was, stuck being their housewife. Iris cleaned, did laundry, took care of the baby. She often wished she had the audacity to just get up and leave. Run away from it all. Her problems. Her family. Everything.

Jaycee was in her crib, giving Iris the time to finish reading Stephanie Meyer's _Twilight Saga_ for the umpteenth time. Afterward, as per usual, she bitterly wished a vampire would come give her a nibble. Iris couldn't have cared less about the supposed pain a bite would cause or the burning sensation of the transformation; she just wanted it to happen. Joining the darkness and disappearing from this life that she so loathed would have been the best gift. She wanted to be able to walk away and never look back. Knowing that would never happen, Iris checked in on the baby for the last time that night. Seeing that the girl was sleeping soundly, Iris once again made herself comfortable on the sofa.

She tried to concentrate on the next book on her To Be Read list, to lose herself in the story, but the only thing she could think about was what it would be like to actually be taken away by a vampire; to have that vampire turn her. Whether out of loneliness or spite, she wouldn't care. Just as long as it had actually happened. She wondered if she would go willingly; leave her eighteen month old niece who was the only real reason that Iris hadn't committed suicide by then.

With those thoughts rolling around her mind, Iris finally allowed sleep to take over. The book laid forgotten on her chest.

 

  
Iris startled awake some time later. For a moment, she couldn't figure out what had woken her until she noticed one of Jaycee's toy cars rolling quietly past the artificial fireplace and come to a stop. She stared at the toy, motionless. Her heart pounded in her ears, feeling the blood drain from her face as she wondered what had sent the car. She tried to convince herself that the toy had merely been propped up on something that had finally fallen down, allowing the car to roll away.

Never hearing another sound, she firmly told herself that she was losing it at last and forced herself to close her eyes. Her subconscious went wild.

  
She dreamt of absolute darkness. Well, almost absolute darkness; there was a tiny pinpoint of light that seemed very far away. It blinked once, causing Iris to stumble back a step. Fearing she wasn't alone in this dark place, Iris held her eyes wide; so wide it hurt. She was determined to keep them open until she was certain that there was no one else.

Daylight seemed the best option, she assumed as she began stumbling her way toward the promise of anything but the deep black she was currently stranded in. The farther Iris ran, the smaller the dot seemed to become. Until she felt something rush past her, then she stopped cold in her tracks. Iris looked toward the brightness only to find that it had gone. On the ground before her was the shadow cast by her own body. With furrowed brows, she whipped around to see that the shining pinprick, so bright it was painful to look at, had somehow gotten behind her and was now the size of a saucer. Iris saw something move behind the radiance as it came around to stand before her.

What she saw didn't make sense. It was a man — or what looked like a man — wearing nothing but faded jeans; that wasn't the strangest part. Anywhere the light touched him was shining like a million diamonds being turned this way and that. The left side of his body glittered while the other half was left in shadow. He stood staring at her, a half smirk on his shimmering face, while she watched the light dance over his body.

"You want to be like this," he stated. "What I am."

"What are you?" she asked around a shuttering breath.

"I'm sure you already know, don't you, Iris?"

Iris shook her head silently. Part of her knew that this was just a dream, but the other part of her was scared out of her mind. Not afraid of becoming the thing before her, but more afraid of not knowing whether or not she could control herself afterward. She didn't know if she would be able to live a "vegetarian" life like the fictional Cullens had, but she didn't necessarily want to slaughter the whole town either.

"Now," the man said like he was talking to a petulant toddler. "Don't lie to me."

Looking closer at his abnormally beautiful face, Iris finally noticed his crimson eyes. A grin split the vampire's face as he took a step closer to her, tilting her face with his ice cold hands. He nuzzled into Iris's neck while she stood frozen in place. She had just felt his cool breath ghost over her skin when her eyes snapped open, revealing the pale white of the pitch ceiling above her.

As she stared at the ceiling, willing her racing heart to still, Iris had the overwhelming sense that someone was watching her. That sense was proven correct when the clearing of a throat sounded from the loveseat across the room. She froze, contemplating pretending she was still asleep. But, knowing that if the one across the room was in fact a vampire, he would be able to call her bluff.

"Good morning," he said quietly, in a friendly tone. She slowly turned her head to look at the stranger. He was the same one from the dream wearing the same pants, but now also wearing a dark green sweater and black work boots. His sandy blond hair was pulled into a small bun at the back of his head, his blood red eyes shone in the dim light. A dusting of blond stubble covered his jaw.

Iris swallowed hard before speaking. "Good morning," she rasped. She didn't quite understand why she felt so shell shocked. She had just been contemplating this very thing. _But at the time you thought it was all fictional,_ she thought to herself. _No shit, self. But do I still want it?_ "Who are you?"

"My name is Jackson Barrett; friends call me Jack," he answered conversationally, pulling himself to his feet. "And you are Iris Walker living with your brother Jensen, his wife Dana, and their daughter Jaycee. I need to know that you meant what you were thinking."

"What I was thinking? I was sleeping," she retorted as though he wasn't aware of this.

"Earlier. When you were finished reading, you thought about what would happen if you were to be turned." He was suddenly knelt a mere six inches from the sofa on which she still reclined. He looked exactly the same as the vampire from her dream. "Did you mean it? Do you really wish to become one of us?"

Iris nodded without an ounce of the hesitation she was sure would be there. She wondered briefly what that might mean about her morality, but she couldn't bring herself to take it back. A slow smile slipped over his face as he held out a hand to help Iris to her feet. As she stood, Iris was suddenly aware of her night clothes; an oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts. Gently taking her warm hand away from his cold one, she and Jackson together glanced down to her attire and then back up to each other.

"Can I change first?" she asked hesitantly, fearing he would scoff and shove her out into the cold October weather regardless of her poor choice of nightwear. But he only nodded with an amused smirk.

"Of course."

Quickly, she grabbed her favorite pair of jeans along with a long sleeved shirt and darted to the bathroom as fast as she could without waking anyone. She ripped the oversized Doctor Who t-shirt off and tossed it into the hamper in the corner, the Oscar The Grouch boxers following soon after. She tugged the long sleeved Granny's shirt over her head, pushing her arms through the sleeves before yanking on the faded jeans and buckling the belt already threaded through the loops. Squeezing a dollop of toothpaste onto her toothbrush, Iris ran it under the faucet before shoving it into her mouth to swiftly brush her teeth. Finished dressing, she rushed back out to the vampire who clearly hadn't moved a muscle since she'd left. Iris combed her fingers through her short hair before lacing up the blue Converse and slipping into the leather jacket hung by the front door.

"Do you have anything you’d like to take with you?" he asked, tilting his head to meet her slightly crazed expression. "Preferably something that wouldn't be missed by those you're leaving behind."

With a quick glance around the room, she gave a slight nod and pulled out the small, pre-packed Supernatural themed backpack from behind the couch and went back to meet the man by the door.

"You have a bag already packed?" Jackson asked, his brow cocked. Iris let out a sad chuckle.

"I'd been planning on leaving for a while," she explained. "Just waiting for the right time."

"And now is the right time?" he wondered.

"As good a time as any."

He glanced to her face, an odd look in his eye before following her outside.

They stepped onto the small, square porch and Iris locked the bolt with the key hidden over the door. When she was finished, the vampire turned his back to Iris, looking at her over his shoulder. He motioned for her to scramble into place. Thinking she was a little heavy for this kind of thing, Iris placed her hands on his shoulders and leapt up, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He was running before she was completely braced, nearly causing her to lose her grip on his freezing body. Jackson caught her wrist at the last moment, holding on until she'd clasped her hands together at the base of his throat.

"Thanks," she breathed. He chuckled quietly. Beginning to feel a bit nauseous after the close call, Iris tucked her head into the crook of Jackson's neck, eyes squeezed tightly closed. He laughed again, patting her arm lightly.

Iris realised belatedly that she was riding piggyback on a vampire through the city of Huntington, West Virginia in the wee hours of the morning; the sun wasn't even noticeable through the clouds just yet. _Jesus Christ,_ she thought suddenly. _I'm his damned Bella Swan. Well, minus all the feelings and whatnot. Plus, I'm not exactly small._

Within minutes, they had traveled across the entire town and were so deep into the woods that Iris knew she would never be able to find the way out on her own again. Suddenly, she worried that Jackson had brought her out there to have a little fun with his food. The vampire huffed.

“Why are you afraid of me all of a sudden?” he asked over the wind whooshing past them.

Iris closed her eyes. Had she said that out loud? “I'm just a little nervous,” she answered, hoping the right kind of shakiness was in her voice. Once again, he patted her arm.

Several minutes later, Jackson slowed to a halt and waited — with more patience than she thought he would have for a slow, overweight, unattractive human like herself — for Iris to gather her footing before turning to offer her his arm. She self-consciously looped her arm through his as he led the way into a small, moss covered cabin situated so deep into the forest that she was certain it had been long forgotten by any living human.

"I think you're taking all of this rather well," he admitted.

Iris shrugged her shoulders. “I'm still not one hundred percent sure it's real, if I'm honest.”

“Well, I can assure you, it is real.” He grinned. “I could pinch you, if you'd like.” Iris rolled her eyes as she stepped away from him to explore the dusty rooms of the previously empty shack.

Jackson laughed lightly as he shoved an old sofa into the middle of the front room. "When you're through with your inspection,” he said with a chuckle. “I'd like to talk a bit more about the change and the bite. I don't want to leave any stone unturned." He found her standing in the dining area, examining an old, faded photo of a man and what looked to be his brother.

"So, what —"

"Ah, ah." Jack waved a hand. "I talk, you listen. Then questions." He grinned when Iris waved a hand in surrender as she took a seat on the motheaten sofa.

"You see," he began immediately, "When the bite happens, it'll begin to burn instantly. The burning sensation is caused by the venom as it attacks each and every cell in your body. Every last one of them." He set about pacing, far too quickly in Iris’s opinion, as he explained the process.

"The venom spreads throughout your bloodstream and strengthens your body. Your skin will become impenetrable, your body will become irresistible, your strength will become unmatchable. Unmatchable by any human that is." A dangerous glint appeared in his eye. Iris figured she wouldn't be much of a match for him. But, according to Stephanie Meyer, "newborn" vampires were much stronger than any other vampire; for a time. She pondered this as she fingered a frayed spot on her jeans.

"Now, when I administer the bite, it'll be just here," he touched the side of his neck with two fingers right over where his pulse used to beat. "Because that is as close to your heart as I can get. You will be in constant agony from there on out — at least two or three days — as the venom spreads from that point into the rest of your body. As soon as I complete the bite, I'll have to leave for a while. I don't want to promise you immortality and then rip your throat out directly afterward." Iris tried to laugh at that but it was a bit morbid. It came out as more of a rush of air through her nose. Jackson looked at her like she was a little odd.

"Do you want to do this immediately?" he asked. "Or do you want to get your last bit of sleep before you can't anymore?"

"I don't think I could get back to sleep right now if I tried," she admitted, pulling herself to her feet. "Where do you want me?" Jackson shook his head with disbelief.

"I'm still having trouble believing that you're not having second thoughts about all of this." He shook his head again before taking a step toward her. "But I'm not dear ol' Eddie, so just lie back on the couch," he instructed, pointing into the next room. Iris let out a surprised laugh.

"You've read the books?"

"I know the Cullens for real," said Jackson. She shook her head. "No, really. Alice called me in to vouch for Nessie to the Volturi. She is one of the sweetest little girls I have ever seen."

"Alice."

Jackson nodded and dove into the story of how Alice and Jasper had tracked him down, at the time he had been running up in Canada with another vampire named Nicholas. They had come to ask him to speak on behalf of their niece and he couldn't say no.

"Jasper told me that I would mainly be a backup, of sorts," he concluded. "They had already planned on having another half-and-half show up as proof, I was just an extra they'd picked up along the way."

"Really," she said, still not convinced. "If the Cullens are real, then how is there an entire book series explaining, in full detail, every aspect of the vampires that walk among us?"

"Because, the best place to hide is in plain sight. Their descriptions are off of course. Edward doesn't exactly look like Pattinson."

Iris snorted and moved to take her place on the once beige couch taking up the center of the room. Looking up at him expectantly, her heart thundered against her ribcage.

"I can hear your heartbeat," Jackson said, sobering up. "Are you sure you're ready right now?"

Iris gave a firm nod, lying back the way he'd told her to. His cold fingers brushed along her throat as he folded down the collar of her shirt. A slight shiver ran through her body as the reality of what was happening hit her full force. But she couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop. As he leaned over her, she fisted her hands in the hem of her shirt to keep them from betraying her nerves.

"I'm going to bite here." He touched the side of her neck. She heard him take a shuddering breath, smelling the blood he was about to taste. "Ready?"

After another nod, Iris felt the piercing sting as Jackson's teeth bit into her soft flesh. She couldn't help the ragged gasp that tore from her throat. Suddenly he was gone, the storm door banging against the side of the cabin, and she could do nothing but accept the sharp, scalding tendrils of fire that licked their way through her body. Iris let out an involuntary groan at the burn and tried her absolute best to keep as still and as quiet as she possibly could. If someone or something found her there, writhing in pain, it could be disastrously bad. A person might want to take her to a hospital, whereas an animal may drag her burning body off into the forest to tear it apart. Somewhere that even her new vampire pal couldn't find.

The burning began to spread throughout Iris's chest and stomach on its journey to the lower half of her body, having already completed its course through her head and neck. She lay gasping through the searing pain of being boiled from the inside out. It felt like there should be smoke or visible flames, but so far the only things showing there was anything happening were her clenched fists, tightened jaw, and the barely controlled whimpers as she burned.

She tried to think of something else, _anything_ else, but fire was the only thing that would stick to the forefront of her mind. Maybe if Iris tried to think of the artificial fireplace back at Jensen's, then perhaps it would become more tolerable. A fake fire that didn't put off any heat whatsoever. Her face was contorted with concentration when she heard Jackson make his way back into the house. Iris felt as he came closer, to examine her she assumed, but her eyes were screwed tight as she pictured the false orange and blue flames.

 _There is no fire,_ she told herself repeatedly. _There is no fire. It's all in your head, girl. You're fine. It'll be fine._

"You seem to be doing well," he commented. "Your heartbeat is as it should be. You're not screaming uncontrollably, which I thought was damn near impossible to be honest."

Iris was feeling strangely proud of herself for being able to understand what was being said to her, let alone the fact that she'd surprised a vampire. She concentrated even harder on not flinching at the tongues of flame currently turning her insides to ash. He continued to speak to her, but she could only grasp half of what he was saying — it seemed as though she were finally, blessedly, losing consciousness — but she appreciated his efforts nonetheless. His voice helped to give her something else to think about. Every now and again, Iris would catch snippets of his train of thought, but nothing ever made sense with the previous bit she'd heard.

"...ran over half the continent..."

"...Harry Potter in 1997..."

"...nearly blew up the first train..."

Iris's transformation consisted mainly of listening to tidbits of whatever Jackson was thinking for the two and a half days it lasted. By the middle of the third day, she was fully comprehending everything he was saying. He seemed to understand this as he began telling her about more important things than some of his random life facts. He told, in more detail, of the Volturi and their status as something of a vampiric police department and how they would come after them if they were to spill the beans on the whole "I'm a vampire" thing. Which was understandable. He also told her about hunting.

"For your first hunt, I'm only going to take you out into these woods here and see what we can scrounge up. At least until you can control yourself. But after that, I'm going to teach you how to hunt humans. If that's the way you want to feed. Personally, I can live with either animal or human blood, but everyone's different. Some, like the Cullens, get by with only animal blood and still be able to mingle with the humans. Even so, I enjoy human blood too much to go into public without attracting too much unwanted attention. It's the eyes, you see. Not very conspicuous." He paused for a beat, like he was listening to something. Iris realised what it was when the fire started to flood into her torso. Her legs and arms were no longer burning as the heat pulled itself into her chest, surrounding her heart. The heat grew hotter and hotter until it felt like a raging inferno was roaring inside of her chest. The organ gave two hard, final pumps before stilling completely.

Iris's entire body was rigid, but it didn't feel wrong or tense. Just still.

"Iris?" she heard. That voice was musical with just the right amount of rasp and a touch of concern. She could sense that Jackson was about six feet away and low, like he was sitting in the floor across the room. Her eyes flew open and she wanted to look at everything at once. In the sunshine spilling through the dingy curtains, she could see the dust motes dancing in the air. She could feel them fly through her nose and throat when she took a deep breath. It wasn't even something she needed, but it felt nice to have the oxygen filling her lungs. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she'd bolted upright on the couch. "How do you feel?"

Iris swallowed, and suddenly she was transported back. It burned. She felt as though her throat was lined in scalding sandpaper and the only thing that could soothe the pain was a drink of...something. "Thirsty." She’d expected her voice to rasp, but it put her in mind of glass. Similar to a wet finger around the rim of a wine glass.

"I figured as much." Jackson was by her side in an instant, offering an article of clothing. She wrinkled her brow as she snatched it from his hand.

"What's this?" she demanded, more aggressively than she'd intended. He didn't seem to notice.

"Better fitting pants, the shirt should be fine for now. You remember how I said your body would become irresistible?" He gestured to the dirty floor length mirror across the room. "I'll give you some privacy." As Iris looked confusedly at the pair of black jeans in her hand, Jackson went to wait for her outside.

Iris darted across the front room to examine her reflection, by which she was largely surprised. The girl staring back at her was a virtual stranger. She was much more attractive than Iris had ever hoped to be and she'd finally realised why Jack had given her the new pants. Her body was immensely thinner than it had been before the transformation. The almond shaped eyes were the biggest shock. Instead of the usual pale green, a bright crimson had taken its place.

Stripping down to her underwear, Iris stared at her legs. Before, in her muddled memory, her thighs were thick and covered in thin scars and stretchmarks; now, they were slim and blemish free. There was even a small gap between them. She'd been so entranced that she had nearly missed Jackson coming back toward the cabin. Not wanting to answer any questions right then, Iris made sure to be dressed when the other vampire walked through the door.

"You okay?" he asked. "I was starting to think you'd left without me."

"Yeah, just checking myself out," she laughed. "Let's go."

He chuckled and motioned for her to follow him as he ran out into the forest. They'd stopped about three miles away when Jackson turned to face the newborn vampire. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Close your eyes," he instructed. "Smell the air. Listen to animals. Their heartbeats, the blood rushing through their veins. Let your senses take control, do what they tell you."

Iris slowly breathed deeply through her nose. She heard the faint sound of a large heart steadily beating in the chest of an animal about sixty yards to the west. The smell hit her like a blast, causing an intense burn in her throat. The scent was warm and wet, making her mouth water. Iris snapped her eyes open and launched herself through the trees. She didn't know exactly what she was chasing, but it smelled delicious. As she heard her prey take a step, Iris leapt over a fallen tree. She could see it now, a massive black bear with its nose in the air. Iris tore through the last branches blocking her from her first drink of blood. The bear didn't have time to turn its heavy head before she'd wrapped her arms around its broad shoulders. With a vicious snarl matching that of the bear, she sank her venom coated teeth into the animal's throat, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of its hot blood until it was still.

Iris dropped the bear's lifeless body and brought herself upright. Just remembering that she'd had an audience, she turned to Jackson half expecting him to criticize her performance. Instead, he seemed genuinely impressed with her hunting skills.

"Well done!" he congratulated. "I just have one suggestion, if you plan on going into town after a hunt." She looked at him quizzically. "You should practice on keeping your prey's claws away from your body. It may cause suspicion if you waltz out of the forest all but naked."

Looking down at her shredded clothing, Iris knew her cheeks would be blazing if she could blush anymore. The Granny's shirt was completely gone in some places, showing her blue bra and most of her stomach. The black skinny jeans could be salvaged, as they had only suffered minor tears along the thighs.

"I'll try that next time," she responded, embarrassed, trying to cover herself up.

"Are you still thirsty?"

Iris swallowed a few times, trying to judge her hunger. The dry pain was nearly gone plus, she'd already been embarrassed today. She shook her head and waited for more instruction. Her mind flitted briefly to Jensen and Dana, refusing completely to think of Jaycee, as she firmly believed that her niece would be far better without Iris in her life. "I think I'm okay, but I should probably change." Jack chortled and sent her back to the cabin while he hunted for himself. Iris nodded, turning to follow her and Jackson's scent the way they'd come.

Back at the cabin, Iris went to the mirror to study her new body. The reflection showed a girl who was thin and pale, not that she wasn't pale to begin with, but now it was even more so. Her stomach, once chunky and striped with stretchmarks, was now flat and smooth. She removed the trashed shirt and tossed it into the garbage bin, which she wasn't thrilled about as it had been her favorite. Digging through her bag, Iris found the black t-shirt that had been packed ages ago and slipped it over her head. The top, once snug, now hung off her smaller frame and over the torn pants.

"I look like a hipster," she muttered to herself. "All I need is a pair of oversized, useless glasses and my beanie."

Behind her, Jack laughed lightly as he brandished the grey beanie she had had stashed in her bag. He stood behind her and pulled the hat over Iris's hair, leaving the tip dangling and her fringe poking out.

"I don't know what to tell you about the glasses," he said, "But the hat looks good." Iris laughed as she tilted her head from side to side, examining the way the beanie complimented her now-slender face. She was beginning to like the way her face looked, even with the red eyes. They may even be her favorite part.

Jackson slid his hands from her shoulders and along her arms to the wrists where they stopped. She stiffened met his gaze in the mirror.

"I have some news," he admitted quietly, dropping his hands. "Your brother has been trying to reach you via cell phone. Along with his wife and your mother." She sighed. Iris knew they were going to have to move on eventually, but she didn't expect it would be so soon. "I think we should leave the area soon."

"I know we should. But that doesn't make it easy. Jen and I were born here. So was Jay." Iris stepped out of Jack's space and turned to her bag. "Am I just going to remain a missing person forever?"

"We could fake your death somehow. Give your family some type of closure."

"That might be best." She looked down at the beanie she was shoving into her backpack as her eyes began to sting. Iris knew that, if they could come, tears would be staining her cheeks. Jaycee would be forever better off without Iris's negativity bringing her down. Her only regret was that she hadn't said goodbye to the baby girl. Iris gave herself a mental shake and slung the pack over her shoulder. "How're we gonna do this?"

Jackson thought for a moment, turning over several options in his mind, dismissing them as they came. Iris watched as an idea came to him. Jackson turned to face her, looking somewhat skeptical. Iris in turn narrowed her eyes.

"What are you thinking?" she asked suspiciously.

"Suicide." He looked down at her, watching her reaction.

"Suicide?" She shook her head, wondering how that could possibly work. "How's that supposed to happen? What about a body? Or a note?"

Jackson shrugged. "You write a note saying that you're going to jump off a bridge into the Ohio River. It would be difficult for them to find a body on any normal day, so them not finding one wouldn't really be that shocking. They would assume your body had just been pushed on by the current." Iris shivered, instantly hating the idea, but she was unable to find a better option. Reluctantly, she agreed.

"How will they find the note?" Iris asked, wanting to hammer out all the details in their plan to convincingly fake her death.

"I'll mail it," he answered immediately. "Your brother will receive the letter in a few days. By then, we'll be long gone."

Iris nodded and thought of how Jensen would feel when he read the letter. Relieved, most likely. One less mouth to feed and better environment for his daughter. Iris was convinced that this was the best option. A clean break.

"Do you have any paper here?" she asked, refusing to allow emotion to color her voice. "And a pen?"

Jackson pointed to the kitchen. "You'll find both on the counter."

She nodded once again as she set about producing her own suicide letter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is actually reading this, I'm sorry this took so long. I had actually forgotten about it until recently and became motivated to write a new chapter. This one's shorter than the last, but it's mainly just a filler.

While Iris waited at the cabin, pacing around the shack several hundred times, Jackson had taken her letter into town to send off. It had then been four days since Iris’s “disappearance” and she was beginning to feel a bit restless as she knew her family was so near yet she was unable to contact them.

“It's for the best,” she whispered to herself once again. “Especially now. You'd go full vamp on all of them.” Unable to stay cooped up with her thoughts in that tiny cabin any longer, Iris decided to lose herself in the hunt.

About four miles from the shack, Iris stopped and closed her eyes as she breathed deep and even through her nose. Immediately, she caught a scent quite similar to the bear from before. Her eyes snapped open and she took off toward the enticing aroma, a wild sound ripping from her throat.

Just as she was nearly to her hunt, Iris skidded to a halt. A new smell drifted across her path. The young vampire inhaled deeply, her mouth watering at the scent. She could practically feel the strong steady heartbeat pounding through the veins of her new prey. Without a second thought, Iris raced off to the west until she was close to the sounds of footsteps and voices. Iris burst through the brush and immediately leapt onto the man closest to her, sinking her razor-sharp teeth into the soft flesh of the human’s throat. The man was drained in a matter of seconds.

A terrified shriek caused Iris to drop the still body of the hiker onto the ground as she spun around to face the dead man's companion. The second human was female and horror struck as she stared at the blood dripping from Iris’s chin. Another sound of fear escaped the woman as Iris jerked her head back by the hair to clamp her mouth around the thick blue vein pulsing in her neck. The warm liquid poured down Iris's throat, soothing the constant burn, as she swallowed mouthful after mouthful until there was nothing left. As she was finishing, a soft barely-there sound behind her sent Iris whirling around, a snarl tearing from her throat.

“I'm sorry,” Jackson said, hands raised. “I didn't mean to startle you.”

Iris stilled as she stared down at the two bodies by her feet. “I didn't mean to.”

Jackson watched her with pursed lips as he thought over the situation. “It's my fault, really,” he started. “I shouldn't have left you alone for so long. I'll handle this; you go back to the cabin and gather your things. I'll be along shortly then we'll be leaving.” Without knowing what else to do, Iris obeyed his instructions and turned to follow her own trail back to the cottage.

She knew she should feel something over killing two people, but all Iris could feel was satisfaction. The raw burning in her throat was completely gone for the moment and her head was clear. She felt rejuvenated. The blood of the bears, mountain lions, and the occasional bobcat was nothing compared to the human blood currently filling her belly.

Inside the squat building, it took Iris only moments to move through packing away everything she'd brought in her bag, even going so far as the shredded shirt from her first hunt. Jackson may laugh at her, but she didn't want to leave it behind. By the time the other vampire returned, Iris had already packed and repacked her bag several times.

“What took so long?” Iris asked, carefully avoiding the mix of blood and dirt under the other’s fingernails.

“Well, I had to make it convincing,” he replied casually. Iris wondered briefly as to what exactly had to be convincing. “Are you ready to leave?” With one last glance around the cottage, the girl gave a nod and slung her pack over her shoulder.

“So how are we doing this?” she wondered. “Where are we going?”

“Well, it depends,” he said.

“On?”

“On how you plan to feed. If you plan on living on human blood, we need to find a place near enough to people that you can take without worry,” he explained matter-of-factly. “If you want to live on the blood of animals, however, I can take you to the Cullens and they can teach you better than I could about that.”

Iris thought on it for a moment. The lack of feeling after claiming the lives of two innocent people who had just been enjoying nature made her uneasy. She didn't want to become an emotionless killer just for the sake of feeling strong. From Jackson’s face, she knew that he could sense her dilemma. After several silent moments, Iris finally nodded.

“I'd like to meet the Cullens.” Jackson nodded before turning to lead the way from the cabin. “I'm not certain I can keep it one hundred percent animal, but I don't want to have to always kill people to sustain myself.”

“It's understandable,” said the older vampire. “So we're headed to Washington then. As far as I know, they're still there.”

After nearly an hour of walking Iris became curious. “So, we’re hoofin’ it across the country, Jacky boy?”

Jackson chuckled at the name with a shake of his head. “No. I merely wanted to get out of the area before finding a vehicle.”

The girl nodded with a shrug.

“Unless you think you can handle going through an airport and sitting on a plane full of warm bodies for at least ten hours?”

Iris pursed her lips as she thought over what had happened with the hikers, and that had been in a huge patch of forest. She could only imagine the next level slaughter fest that would occur in a confining metal tube way up in the sky. “Oh, I don't think that could end well.”

As the two vampires trekked through the forest, the elder keeping a more careful ear out for humans, the younger began to wonder how she wasn't so upset anymore. Less than a week ago, she'd chosen to leave her life and her family behind to become an immortal being. At the time, she'd felt some sadness of knowing her niece would forget her sooner rather than later and a little guilt over the pain and inconvenience she'd caused her brother. Now, however, Iris was beginning to feel a touch of excitement at starting her new life as a vampire of all things. She'd never actually believed vampires were real, merely figments of someone's imagination. But, she supposed, every tale started with a grain of truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, tell me what you think. Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

After several days of hunting through the woods on their way out of West Virginia, Jackson informed her that he would be venturing into town to get a car for easier travel.

“It'll be faster than trying to bounce from forest to forest all the way across the country.” Iris laughed and agreed to wait up on a branch in the tall oak tree next to them until he returned. She didn't want a repeat performance of the hiker incident.

So she waited, perched near the top of the tree, for nearly four hours without moving a muscle until she heard the tell-tale sound of Jackson’s light footsteps through the brush. Iris, happy to be relieved of her boredom, dropped down the forty feet to meet him at the base of her hiding spot.

“What are we lookin’ at?” she asked as he came near. “Did you go boost a car?”

“No, I did not boost a car,” he said, feigning hurt. “I borrowed it.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “Whatever. As long we don't get caught with it. Because, you know, I'm supposed to be dead and making my way down the river right now.”

Jack rolled his eyes at the morbidness in her tone. “How are you feeling right now,” he asked, changing the subject. “Do you need to hunt anymore for the time being?”

The young vampire took a moment to assess her thirst. The burn was still there, but tolerable at the moment; she figured it would last for a while. Nodding, she told him she was ready to move.

“All right. It isn't far,” Jack said, already half-turned. “I parked it just at the edge of the trees.”

With another nod, Iris motioned for her companion to lead the way.

They’d run for less than a minute before the sleek black vehicle -- with heavily tinted windows -- came into view. Iris’s jaw dropped at the sight. Jack stopped next to her and gave her a questioning look.

“Where in the hell did you get a Corvette?”

“A friend lent it to me,” he answered simply.

“Wait, you actually borrowed a car? Somebody just handed you the keys to a freaking Corvette? How does that even happen?”

“He owed me a favor and we needed a car. Are you complaining?” He raised his eyebrows at her as he climbed behind the wheel. Iris huffed a disbelieving laugh before slipping into the passenger seat. With a grin, Jack revved the engine and they were soon speeding toward the the closest ramp onto the highway.

In the silence of the car, Iris’s thoughts drifted to her last night at her brother’s house. She thought of how Jackson had showed up at just the right time for her to want to run away and never come back. She wondered idly about how long he had been keeping tabs on her. That wasn't the first time she'd fantasized being whisked away by a vampire.

“I can feel you thinking about me, Iris,” Jack said suddenly, pulling Iris from her mind. “Is there something you wanted to ask?”

“Well,” she started uncertainly, wondering if she was about to offend him. “I was curious about how long you'd been in my area before you showed yourself.”

Jack seemed to think over his response before answering. “I got into town around the time you'd started the second book, to be honest. I could feel that you were thinking about what it would be like to become a vampire, but I needed to be certain before I spoke to you. So I waited until you'd finished the series for the final verdict.”

“And when I did finish them, and still wanted it, that's when you showed up with that dream.” Thinking back on that dream now, it didn't do Jack justice. Her human eyes hadn't been up to the task of processing something so otherworldly.

“Yes. I've been looking for a -- a companion of sorts; someone to run with, you know?” Jack glanced at her from the corner of his eye and seemed surprised by her apt attention. “If you don't want to hang around me forever, I understand completely, of course. I won't force my company on you.”

Iris chuckled lightly. “Ah, you're not so bad, Jax.”

“Jax?” he asked, confused. “Is that with an S or an X?”

Iris thought for a moment, eyeing the other vampire up and down. “An X, I think. It suits you.”

“I like it,” Jack said after a moment. “Believe it or not, nobody’s thought to call me that in my two hundred years of existence.”

Their journey from there consisted of continuous questions about each other. Iris learned that Jackson had been born in Rhode Island during the same year it had become a state. He had lived twenty two years before he was turned.

“It was done out of spite,” he said bitterly. “My mother died during childbirth and my father met a woman named Vera a few years after. She’d acted as my mother for all intents and purposes for my childhood years; but I'd always thought something was strange about her. Her skin was always cold and hard, her eyes were an unnatural shade of gold, and she absolutely refused to come outside on a sunny day. She’d claimed she had too fair skin.” Jack laughed without humor at how it was so obvious now. “Anyway, she'd been with us up until my father found her holed up with the town doctor. He told her that they were through and she was very displeased.

“Vera begged me to convince my father to reconsider, but I'd refused. I was soon to be married then, and I could tell I would have done exactly as he had.”

“You were going to be married?” Iris interrupted, slightly surprised. “What was her name?”

A fond smile tugged at Jack’s lips. “Her name was Tabitha. I can't remember her as well as I would like, but I do remember how I felt about her. Which brings us back to what happened next.

“After I refused to talk my father into taking Vera back, she became angry with me as well. She took me that night while I slept. I woke to being carried as she ran, faster than I could imagine, to a barn that I knew to be abandoned.

“Vera put up in the loft on a pile of straw. By then, I was terrified; I’d begun to wonder what she was and how I'd missed it for so long. For a while she did nothing but look at me, but soon she took my hand and brought it up to her mouth. I remember her smelling my skin and then a flash of her teeth and then pain. But then, you know all about that pain.”

Iris looked away. “But I chose it. You had it forced.”

“True,” Jackson nodded. “But you felt it nonetheless.” Iris agreed and Jack continued with his story.

“The memory is vivid. I screamed and thrashed around enough to throw myself from the loft. When it finally stopped, Tabitha was there.”

A hand flew involuntarily to Iris’s mouth. “Oh no,” she whispered. Jackson continued as though he didn't hear.

“My throat was on fire and there she was, hovering over me. I knew I should have been comforting her but all I could think about was the smell, and the sound of her heartbeat. I couldn't control myself.”

“Oh, Jack,” Iris said quietly, touching his shoulder. “I'm so sorry.”

“When I realized what I'd done, I set out to find Vera. To make her pay. By the time I made it back to the town, it was empty. The only thing there was the stench of death. Inside the church was everyone I’d ever known, all thrown in like garbage. Men, women, children; no one was spared.”

“What happened to your father?”

“His body was at the bottom of the pile.”

Iris watched Jack while he was lost in another time. After a moment, her curiosity won. “Did you find Vera?”

“Yes,” he answered curtly. “I found her ten years later in Canada and her eyes were no longer gold. I got her alone and I tore her apart.”

His tone told Iris that the story was over and she resigned herself to gazing through the window into the dark tree line along the edges of South Dakota. She hadn't realized how long they'd been driving until just then.

“We’ll stop to hunt soon,” Jack announced, his tone lightening once again. “Once we get down a back road.”

Iris was glad she would get to feed again soon; the burn had been growing stronger with every passing hour. She felt a touch of excitement as Jack stopped the car in a long stretch of country road.

“Alright, I’m going to go make sure no one’s around,” Jack said as he swung his door open. “I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as Jackson had taken off, Iris heard another car approaching. Her eyes widened with surprise as it slowed to a stop directly behind the Corvette. Apprehension swept over her as the driver’s door creaked open and a man stepped out. Iris sucked in a breath as the man came nearer. She hoped it would be enough as he tapped the window with one grimey fingernail.

“Hello?” the man asked too loudly. “Miss? Are you okay?”

Iris stared at him. He had narrow brown eyes, squinted as he tried to see past the deep tint of the window. The bill of his trucker’s cap touched the window as his breath fogged up the glass. Even through the darkness, Iris could make out the thick blue vein pulsing in his neck. Her nostrils flared but she refused to take even one small sniff.

“Miss?” the man asked again. “Do you need help?” Silently, Iris shook her head; she didn't want to use her air unless it was absolutely necessary.

“No? ‘No’ you don't need help or ‘no’ you're not okay?”

“No I don't need help,” she clarified, just loud enough for the human to hear.

“But your eyes…”

“Contacts.” Now the air is gone.

“Excuse me,” a different voice interrupted and relief washed over the young vampire. “Can I help you?”

The human whipped around to face the newcomer and Iris could hear his heart rate double with fear. Her throat began to burn.

“Yeah, is this your car?” the man asked, his heart slowing to a normal pace. When Jack nodded, he continued. “I saw it stopped and thought you might need a hand.”

“We appreciate the offer,” Jack said with a friendly grin. “But I just needed a pit stop.” He gestured vaguely behind himself.

Iris never took her gaze from the human’s vulnerable back but, just as her control began to waver, he turned to face her once more.

“My apologies if I startled you, miss,” he said with a small wave. Iris forced a grin that felt more like a grimace then watched as the man started back toward his own vehicle. Jackson watched him for a moment before heading toward Iris at human walking speed. By the time he'd made it to the Corvette, the human was pulling away. Jack sent a wave over the roof of the car before yanking the door open.

“How did you do that?” he demanded, searching her eyes.

“Do what?” she asked, confused by his intensity but relieved the human had gone.

“Control yourself. You've been turned for less than a month and you were just presented with an unexpected human, yet you didn't kill him. How do you keep surprising me like this?”

“You have impeccable timing,” she answered as she shoved past him and started toward the tree line. “My self control was fading fast.”

Jack huffed behind her as he followed.

  
Two hours and six deer later, Iris and Jack were back on the road out of South Dakota, continuing their journey west.

“So what else don't I know about you, Jax?” asked Iris as they pulled back onto the highway. She’d decided not to think about the human.

Jack looked off into the distance for a moment before answering. “I don't know. What else would you like to know?”

“What's your favorite color?” Iris asked, unable to come up with anything better.

“Hmm,” he mumbled as he thought. “I would say green.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Why?” he asked, confused.

“It's mine too,” she said with a grin.

Jack matched her grin as he increased the speed, weaving through the loose traffick. Once upon a time, Iris would have been clinging desperately to her seat and the dashboard if someone were to drive like this. Now, however, she merely turned her gaze through the windshield, beginning to ponder how her first meeting with the Cullens would go. Would she immediately drain someone upon entering their town? Would they take one look at her and rip her to shreds?

And just like that, her good mood disappeared.

“You look worried,” Jackson observed suddenly.

“I am worried. What if they completely refuse to teach me? What if I kill someone as soon as we get there?” Iris crossed her arms over her chest and went perfectly rigid in her seat as her anxiety took over.

“Look, I'm sure Alice has already seen us coming,” Jack said comfortingly. “If they didn't want us there, she would have called by now.”

After a moment, Iris nodded and relaxed herself.

“Now cheer up. We're halfway there.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man. I was reading over this in my google docs and there were a ton of typos so I came here to check if I'd fixed them before posting, and I had not but now they're fixed. If y'all see anymore, lemme know. (Also, the next chapter is underway.)  
> 11/2/16


End file.
